My ApplNion

It is a special day today, not for Mac users, but for Windows ones: Windows 7 is officially out today. I’d say that for Windows users it is a great day. Let’s see why.

I’ve been looking at the Windows 7 features description on Microsoft site. From a Mac user perspective, there is not much to be impressed. Most of the features on this list are something we used to have on Mac OS X for years, on only one CD/DVD, and one version of OS X.

For example, the BitLocker feature is the FileVault feature we have in OS X since 10.3 Panther. Windows Search is the version of Spotlight that we have since 10.4 Tiger.

A first that I can see in Windows 7 (unless I missed something before) is the support for multiple languages with the same version of Windows. Windows 7 supports 35 different languages, but don’t ask me why, this feature is only available in the Ultimate version. OS X have multiple languages since almost the beginning, so the buyers don’t have to validate that the OS is in the language they want when buying it. That is hardly an Ultimate feature…

Windows 7 is selling in three different editions: Home Premium, Professional, and Ultimate. Each editions is available in either 32 or 64 bits version. Snow Leopard have only one version, that is compatible with 32 or 64 bits. And there is finally the family pack, good for three computers in the same home (Apple offers up to 5), which comes with both the 32 and 64 bits version. That makes it 7 versions of Windows 7 you can choose from. Not mentioning that you have to carefully choose the language of the Home Premium and Professional version before you buy.

Personally, I would have prefer only two versions, like in the Windows XP and 2000 time, a Home and Professional version. Home, no need to be Premium, as there is only one version, for the consumer market. Professional for the business market, which can include stuff such as better network integration and so on. I would have included the 35 languages stuff in all versions, so that users can choose the best price on the market, and still have it in the language they prefer.

But that said, every article I read on Windows 7 said that now Windows users have an operating system that is as good as the Mac operating system. And I must admit, from what I read and saw (video demo), I think it is right. Apple took the last two years or so making Leopard a better OS with Snow Leopard. But now, the Apple OS team will have to get back to the work table and improve on it for the next release.

Microsoft just announced that starting next year, they will replace Entourage by an Outlook version in their Office for Mac 2010. When I first heard of Entourage on the Mac, I was wandering: what is that? I was at the time a Mac switcher, and was used to use Outlook and Outlook Express on the PC, but Entourage, never heard of such a program.

The fact that Microsoft is considering to align the 2 products line (PC and Mac Office) to have the same name for all included software, is a good thing for switchers as well as for enterprise that wish to have a Mac based users integrated in their network infrastructure. For the users that wants to buy Office for Mac and are already familiar with Outlook on the PC, the transition will be easier. For the enterprise, the Mac may become less of a pain to maintain as they will have to support, basically, only one email client.

With Snow Leopard that will also support the Exchange infrastructure, the Mac will then become more and more attractive to the enterprises. Will Outlook arrival help? Sure. IT staff may appreciate the fact that Mail will support Exchange servers, but the help desk will more than appreciate the fact that both PC and Mac users can use the same email client. It reduces support peoples training, and users can help each other when using the same software, even on different platform.

Is the fact that Apple announced Snow Leopard to support Exchange a trigger that helped Microsoft make that move? I’ll say yes. For Microsoft, it is an advantage over Apple to offer the same suite to enterprises on both PC and Mac. I just hope that Outlook for Mac will bare a more easy to use interface than the one on the PC. Sometimes just finding a simple option in the interface can be though in Outlook. I also wish that Microsoft will take some of Mail simplicity in Outlook for Mac. Overall, the software on PC is really made for professional business email reading and classification. The Mac version should be at least as good.

Personally, at home, I always uses Outlook Express on the PC, and Mail.app on the Mac. I will keep Mail. I like the simplicity of it, the flexibility are enough for my uses, and anyway, I buy iWork, not Office, for my personal usage too. And Mail is free!